Glory In The Dark
by NashMarquez
Summary: Everyone has their breaking point and our dearest Lieutenant might have just reached that breaking point. Can he be saved? -ONE SHOT-


**A/N : This story is a little OOC but i hope you would give it a chance. **

**This is my first non-Ducaine fic, so I'm sorry if i didn't do a great job. I ship Ducaine so hard but I thought that I should get out of my comfort zone and write other ships. Tell me what you think :)**

"Bring him in." Horatio said in a dark and deep voice. Natalia looked at Horatio with full concern. She knew she should not be doing this but it was too hard to resist helping him. "Miss Boa Vista. Bring him in and close the door." Natalia nodded and shoved the suspect into the car then closed the door behind her. She watched him as he grew darker and she was getting worried for him.

"Where is she?" Horatio's voice was husky and deep.

"I don't know maann!" The suspect screamed at Horatio. Horatio lost his patience and shoved the suspect into the seat, pressing so hard onto the gunshot wound on the suspect's shoulder. "ARRRGGHHH!" The suspect screamed. "ARE YOU CRAZY OR WHAT?" He screamed again.

"You better tell me where she is or I am going to do far worse than this." Horatio growled as he leaned further and nearer to the suspect. Natalia could hear the tone of his voice and she definitely didn't miss the look on his face. His blue eyes turned darker and he looked fiery. His pale skin was almost red.

"Fuckkk! I don't know where the hell she is!" The suspect shouted again. Horatio got really angry and this time, he pressed harder onto the wound and he could even feel the blood dripping on his arm. He didn't care. Natalia knew better not to interfere in this since she knew that Horatio would not let the suspect go. She knew Horatio would fight for justice until the end even if it means getting himself killed. This impressed her the most.

"Okay okay! I'll tell you where she is! Just let me go!" Horatio cleared his throat.

"Good. That's what I want to hear. Now tell me where she is."

"Get your hands off me first!" Horatio smirked and chuckled softly.

"Not a chance. You tell me first where she is and I will see if you're worth to let go." Horatio's voice turned deep once again. Natalia focused her attention on Horatio. This was not the first time that Horatio have done this. She noticed that Horatio was getting much more violent nowadays and she was concerned. She suspects that there might be something going on in his life that has turned his gentle nature into a violent one.

"Okay fine!" The suspect huffed. The suspect eventually caved in and told them where the woman was held hostage. Horatio then ordered Natalia to call Ryan and Eric to verify it while he still pressed onto the suspect's shoulder.

"I hope, for your sake, the woman is still there and alive. Or you'll be facing worse than this." Horatio growled again. After waiting for an hour, they received a call from Eric saying that they found the woman and she was still alive. "Be glad that she's still alive pal." Horatio looked at the suspect with full hatred. He slowly let go of the shoulder and stepped out of the door, leaving Natalia and the suspect.

"Let's go! We're going to book you in." Natalia said firmly as she pulled the suspect out of the car.

"Aren't you going to let me go?" The suspect shouted and Horatio heard it. Instead of walking straight, Horatio turned back and walked towards the suspect then shoved him back against the car.

"Do not test my patience." Horatio snarled, emphasizing every word that he said clearly as he had his hand on the wounded shoulder.

"Okay okay." The suspect gave up and Horatio let him go then started to walk away. "Don't you have to bring me to the hospital or something? For my wound?" Horatio turned back again and chuckled.

"You don't even have the insurance or the money for it." He said and put on his sunglasses as he walked away in a slow and easy stride. Natalia shook her head in disbelief and took the suspect back to downtown for booking. Once she reached downtown, she handed the suspect over to Frank to bring him to booking and she went searching for Horatio. She went back to the lab to search for Horatio in his office but he wasn't in. She even went looking for him in the pantry and the trace labs but he was not there.

"Hey Cal, have you seen Horatio?" She asked when she saw Calleigh in her ballistics lab, focusing on the bullets under the microscope. Calleigh raised her head and turned towards her direction.

"Nope. I didn't. I was analyzing evidence all day. I thought Horatio got the suspect to talk?" Calleigh replied and asked the question. Natalia had to pretend she didn't know anything.

"Yeah I heard that too. Anyway, thanks. I'll find him on my own."

"Try calling him. He might have some board meeting maybe. I don't know."

"Thanks Cal!" Natalia thanked her and went out of the ballistics lab, leaving Calleigh to continue analyzing the bullets. Natalia then went to the locker room to look for him but he was not in there either. As she walked out of the locker room, she heard shuffling around the room and she decided to turn back to take a look at who was there with her.

"Miss Boa Vista." Natalia was caught in a surprise. "What are you doing here?" Horatio stepped forward towards her.

"I was looking for you. I couldn't find you in your office. You okay H?" She asked him with full concern in her voice. She was really worried that anything might happen to him. She didn't want to see him destroy himself or his career.

"I'm fine. Is there anything that I can help you with?" Horatio asked in return while he fiddled with his sunglasses in his hands.

"No. I just wanted to make sure that you're okay.." Natalia paused, looking at his hands. They were still bloodstained. "Uhm..You still haven't cleaned your hands.." She looked at his hands then back at him. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked again, wanting to make sure.

"I'm fine Miss Boa Vista. I..uhm..I'm getting it cleaned right about now." He tilted his head and gave a slight smile.

"Okay then. I'll leave you to clean your hands then." Natalia smiled back and turned around, preparing to leave.

"My hands will never be cleaned." Horatio mumbled. Natalia heard those words clearly and turned back to him.

"What's that Horatio?"

"Nothing. I said I was going to get my hands cleaned." Horatio covered himself but Natalia looked at him skeptically. She was very sure she heard something else. She looked at him straight into his eyes, indicating to him that she wants the truth out of him. "Miss Boa Vista, I'm fine. You don't have to worry." He smiled again.

"You're not fine. I heard those words clearly. I want to know what's going on with you." Horatio tilted his head again and smiled.

_'You're the only person who doesn't treat me like a superior. You're the only person who treats me like a human being and I feel comfortable around you. It was as if we stood on a common ground.' _Horatio thought and just then, he realized that he was actually falling for her. He quickly shook the thought off.

"I'm fine. I just need to get my hands cleaned and I need some rest. That's all." Horatio tried to cover himself again but Natalia could see it off him. She knew he was lying to her. She could see the insecurities in his eyes.

"Horatio, you're just a man. There's just so much that you can handle. Everyone has their breaking point and I believe that you might have reached yours." Natalia said it in a slow and calm manner. It was as if she was used to doing this. She was talking to him as a friend and not her superior.

"What makes you say that I have reached mine? I am fine. I think this conversation ends here." Horatio said and turned around, leaving her standing there alone. Right then, Natalia stepped forward and grabbed Horatio's arm.

"You have changed. And I don't know why but you don't need to go down that road alone." Horatio turned to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about Miss Boa Vista. Could you please let me go?" Horatio said in a gentle tone.

"You're going down the wrong path. You're going down the dark and vicious road Horatio. You have changed." She paused. "You're getting more violent." Natalia finally said it. She needed to let it go and confront him about his violent behavior.

"Miss Boa Vista…I really don't know what you're talking about. I am still the same person I was." Natalia then looked into his eyes and grabbed his hands.

"Look at your hands Horatio. It's covered with blood. And you know why?" She looked at him again and she saw the hurt in his eyes. The pain. She knew this was hurting him but he needed to realize that what he has been doing was wrong and beyond his work ethics. "Because you hurt a suspect for your own benefit. You needed the information and you hurt him for it. You assaulted a suspect Horatio." She continued. After she said her piece, she saw his shoulders drop in defeat. She knew reality has hit him.

"Why are you doing this? You know you didn't have to help me just now but you did. And now you're telling me that what I'm doing is wrong?" Horatio narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"I needed to be there to make sure you don't kill the suspect. To make sure that you won't go that path alone."

"Well from now on you don't have to. I'm not a baby that needs to be cared for. And for your information, if you have forgotten, I am your superior." Natalia sensed anger in his voice.

"I don't care if you are my superior. I just care that you are my friend and I don't want you to go through that path. If you do this, you're going to ruin your career and I know that it will definitely ruin your entire life."

"I don't care about that. You don't have to care about that. It's my life to ruin. You don't know what's going on."

"Oh try me Horatio."

"Fine." He huffed. "Do you know how it feels like to have one of your team members almost killed? And another being killed? Do you know how that felt? You don't know." Horatio paused. "It makes you feel useless. It makes you feel like you're a failure." Natalia heard the hurt and pain in his voice. "I need to feel powerful again. I need to feel like I have all the power. Have you seen the number of criminals trying to bring down MY team?" Horatio raised his voice and emphasized on the word 'my'. Natalia felt sorry for him. "I've lost too much. I can't lose anymore." Natalia then saw the tears in his eyes. He finally broke down. "I'm sorry for involving you in this. You don't have to do it anymore."

"Horatio..I won't let you do it alone. I will never allow you to." Natalia said it in her most sincere voice.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Natalia was unsure. She didn't know what to tell him. She couldn't possibly tell him that she has feelings for him. She didn't think that would be a good idea since he was in such a vulnerable state. She turned her focus to the floor. "Miss Boa Vista…"

"Stop calling me that Horatio. Why can't you just call me Natalia? Why are you so formal with me?" Horatio's eyes widened. He never thought that she was unhappy with him calling her by her last name. Right then, Natalia shoved him against the locker and kissed him hard, not giving him any chance to slip away. She gripped his wrists tight, not allowing him get free and she then realized that he was kissing her back, probing her lips open, which she gladly allowed and they explore each other until air became a necessity.

"Wow." Horatio could only manage that after the kiss. He was blushing. "Uhm…that was amazing Natalia." He smiled shyly. "Is this the reason why you won't let me go down that road alone?" Natalia looked down, embarrassed and just kept quiet.

"I love you Horatio. I can't let you go down that road alone." She finally spoke up. "But it's okay if you don't feel the same Horatio. I'm sorry about that." Natalia then took her leave.

"Wait." He wanted to grab her right then but he couldn't with the blood on his hands. "What makes you think I don't feel the same way? I just kissed you back. And that was amazing." Natalia stopped dead at her tracks. "I want to take you in my arms right now but I can't with the blood on it. I'm sorry if I turned violent. I wanted to push you away. I don't want you to get hurt. The people I love tend to get hurt because of me and I don't want that to happen to you. You mean too much to me." Natalia turned and smiled at him.

"You really feel the same way?" She asked, wanting a confirmation.

"Do you need me to repeat that kiss again?" He tilted his head and gave his boyish grin. Natalia nodded and he gladly kissed her, pushing her gently to the wall with his body. He kept his hands away from her and supported himself by bracing the wall.

"Are you satisfied?" Horatio asked after he broke the kiss and Natalia nodded, smiling very widely. Horatio smiled back and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Let's get your hands cleaned." Natalia said and pulled him by his wrist. She was really glad that he would never go down that violent road. She knew he was the most gentle man ever.

**-****The End-**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

******To those who have been reading Returning Past, no worries, you will be getting a sequel to this "Return Series" soon. I am still working on it.**


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